ABA Termibology

Operant conditioing

Occurs when a behavior in a particular situation is followed by a reinforcing consequence, thus making the behavior more likely to occur in similar circumstances in the future.

Principle of Behavior

A statement describing a functional relation between behavior and one or more of its controlling variables with generality across organisms, species, settings, behavior, and time.

Stimulus-response Psychology

An approach to psychology focused on the relationship between stimuli and responses and the objective study of behavior, also known as Watsonian behaviorism.

Applied Behavior Analysis

The science in which tactics derived from the principles of behavior are applied to improve socially significant behavior, and experimentation is used to identify the variables responsible for the improvement of behavior.

Radical Behaviorism

A thoroughgoing form of behaviorism that attempts to understand all human behavior-including private events such as thoughts and feelings-in terms of controlling variables in the history of the person and species.

Behaviorism

The philosophy of a science of behavior.

Methodological Behaviorism

A philosophical position that views behavioral events that cannot be publicly observed as outside the realm of science.

Science

A systematic approach to the understanding of natural phenomena that relies on determinism as its fundamental assumption, empiricism as its primary rule, experimentation as its basic strategy, replication as a requirement for believability, parsimony as a value, and philosophical doubt as its guiding conscience.

Experimental Analysis of Behavior

A natural science approach to the study of behavior as a subject matter in its own right founded by B.F. Skinner. Its methodological features include rate of response as a basic dependent variable, repeated or continuous measurement of clearly defined response classes, within-subject experimental comparisons instead of group design, visual analysis of graphed data instead of statistical inference, and an emphasis on describing functional relations between behavior and controlling variables in the environment over formal theory testing.

Respondent Conditioning

A process in which a neutral stimulus is paired with an unconditioned stimulus, which elicits an unconditioned response.

Experiment

A carefully controlled comparison of some measure of the phenomenon of interest under two or more different conditions in which only one factor at a time differs from one condition to another.

Radical Behaviorism

A thoroughgoing form of behaviorism that attempts to understand all human behavior-including private events such as thoughts and feelings-in terms of controlling variables in the history of the person and species.

Experimental Analysis of Behavior

A natural science approach to the study of behavior as a subject matter in its own right founded by B.F. Skinner. Its methodological features include rate of response as a basic dependent variable, repeated or continuous measurement of clearly defined response classes, within-subject experimental comparisons instead of group design, visual analysis of graphed data instead of statistical inference, and an emphasis on describing functional relations between behavior and controlling variables in the environment over formal theory testing.

Behaviorism

The philosophy of a science of behavior.

Principle of Behavior

A statement describing a functional relation between behavior and one or more of its controlling variables with generality across organisms, species, settings, behavior, and time.

Operant Conditioning

Occurs when a behavior in a particular situation is followed by a reinforcing consequence, thus making the behavior more likely to occur in similar circumstances in the future.

Stimulus-response Psychology

An approach to psychology focused on the relationship between stimuli and responses and the objective study of behavior, also known as Watsonian behaviorism.

Functional Relation

When a well-controlled experiment demonstrates that a specific change in one event (the dependent variable) is reliably produced by specific manipulations of another event (the independent variable), and that the change in the dependent variable was unlikely to be the result of other extraneous factors (confounding variables).

Control

A level of scientific understanding which causes an event to occur or to assume certain characteristics.

Applied Behavior Analysis

The science in which tactics derived from the principles of behavior are applied to improve socially significant behavior, and experimentation is used to identify the variables responsible for the improvement of behavior.

Description

A goal of scientific understanding that consists of a collection of facts about the observed events that can be quantified, classified, and examined for possible relations with other known facts.

A Methodological Behaviorism

A philosophical position that views behavioral events that cannot be publicly observed as outside the realm of science.

Science

A systematic approach to the understanding of natural phenomena that relies on determinism as its fundamental assumption, empiricism as its primary rule, experimentation as its basic strategy, replication as a requirement for believability, parsimony as a value, and philosophical doubt as its guiding conscience.

Respondent Conditioning

A process in which a neutral stimulus is paired with an unconditioned stimulus, which elicits an unconditioned response.

Prediction

A level of scientific understanding that occurs when repeated observations reveal that two events consistently covary with each other.

Functional Relation

When a well-controlled experiment demonstrates that a specific change in one event (the dependent variable) is reliably produced by specific manipulations of another event (the independent variable), and that the change in the dependent variable was unlikely to be the result of other extraneous factors (confounding variables).

Description

A goal of scientific understanding that consists of a collection of facts about the observed events that can be quantified, classified, and examined for possible relations with other known facts.

Determinism

The assumption that the universe is a lawful and orderly place in which phenomena occur in relation to other events and not in a willy-nilly, accidental fashion.

Prediction

A level of scientific understanding that occurs when repeated observations reveal that two events consistently covary with each other.

Empiricism

The objective observation of the phenomena of interest.

Control

A level of scientific understanding which causes an event to occur or to assume certain characteristics.

Experiment

A carefully controlled comparison of some measure of the phenomenon of interest under two or more different conditions in which only one factor at a time differs from one condition to another.

Experimentation

To define, systematically observe, and accurately and reliably measure occurrences and nonoccurrences of the behavior of interest.

Selection by consequencs

The fundamental principle underlying operant conditioning. The basic tenet is that all forms of behavior, from simple to complex, are shaped, selected, and maintained by their consequences during an individual's lifetime.

applied behavior analysis

The science in which tactics derived from the principles of behavior are applied to improve socially significant behavior, and experimentation is used to identify the variables responsible for the improvement of behavior

phylogeny

The history of the natural evolution of a species.

stimulus-response psychology

An approach to psychology focused on the relationship between stimuli and responses and the objective study of behavior, also known as Watsonian behaviorism.

operant conditioning

Occurs when a behavior in a particular situation is followed by a reinforcing consequence, thus making the behavior more likely to occur in similar circumstances in the future.

respondent conditioning

A process in which a neutral stimulus is paired with an unconditioned stimulus, which elicits an unconditioned response.

replication

Repeating conditions within an experiment to determine the reliability of effects and increase internal validity.

empiricism

The objective observation of the phenomena of interest.

philosophical doubt

An attitude that the truthfulness or validity of all scientific theory and knowledge should be continually questioned.

methodological behaviorism

philosophical position that views behavioral events that cannot be publicly observed as outside the realm of science.

ontogeny

The history of the development of an individual during its lifetime.

radical behaviorism

A thoroughgoing form of behaviorism that attempts to understand all human behavior-including private events such as thoughts and feelings-in terms of controlling variables in the history of the person and species.

parsimony

The practice of ruling out simple, logical explanations, experimentally or conceptually, before considering more complex or abstract explanations.

selectionism

The principle that all forms of life, from single cells to complex cultures, evolve as a result of selection with respect to function.

pragmatism

Inductive reasoning that draws general rules based on specific observation. It is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations and seems to often go hand in hand with behaviorism.

experimental analysis of behavior

A natural science approach to the study of behavior as a subject matter in its own right founded by B.F. Skinner. Its methodological features include rate of response as a basic dependent variable, repeated or continuous measurement of clearly defined response classes, within-subject experimental comparisons instead of group design, visual analysis of graphed data instead of statistical inference, and an emphasis on describing functional relations between behavior and controlling variables in the environment over formal theory testing.

determinism

The assumption that the universe is a lawful and orderly place in which phenomena occur in relation to other events and not in a willy-nilly, accidental fashion.

Science

A systematic approach to the understanding of natural phenomena that relies on determinism as its fundamental assumption, empiricism as its primary rule, experimentation as its basic strategy, replication as a requirement for believability, parsimony as a value, and philosophical doubt as its guiding conscience.

experimentation

To define, systematically observe, and accurately and reliably measure occurrences and nonoccurrences of the behavior of interest.

behaviorism

The philosophy of a science of behavior.

principle of behavior

A statement describing a functional relation between behavior and one or more of its controlling variables with generality across organisms, species, settings, behavior, and time.

behavior

The activity of living organisms, or what a person does and says.

replication

Repeating conditions within an experiment to determine the reliability of effects and increase internal validity.

philosophical doubt

An attitude that the truthfulness or validity of all scientific theory and knowledge should be continually questioned.

parsimony

The practice of ruling out simple, logical explanations, experimentally or conceptually, before considering more complex or abstract explanations.

selection by consequences

The fundamental principle underlying operant conditioning. The basic tenet is that all forms of behavior, from simple to complex, are shaped, selected, and maintained by their consequences during an individual's lifetime.

private events

Behavior that is not observable to others.

description

A goal of scientific understanding that consists of a collection of facts about the observed events that can be quantified, classified, and examined for possible relations with other known facts.

prediction

A level of scientific understanding that occurs when repeated observations reveal that two events consistently covary with each other.

environment

The conglomerate of real circumstances in which the organism or referred part of an organism exists.

selectionsim

The principle that all forms of life, from single cells to complex cultures, evolve as a result of selection with respect to function.

experiment

A carefully controlled comparison of some measure of the phenomenon of interest under two or more different conditions in which only one factor at a time differs from one condition to another.

functional relation

When a well‐controlled experiment demonstrates that a specific change in one event (the dependent variable) is reliably produced by specific manipulations of another event (the independent variable), and that the change in the dependent variable was unlikely to be the result of other extraneous factors (confounding variables).

control

A level of scientific understanding which causes an event to occur or to assume certain characteristics.

phylogeny

The history of the natural evolution of a species.

public events

Behavior that is observable by others.

ontogeny

The history of the development of an individual during its lifetime.